title: Is There any Difference Between the Glomerular Filtration Rate of Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B and C and Patients With Cirrhosis?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Renal dysfunction is a major determinant of the Model of End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score. The implementation of the MELD score has shifted allocation of livers to patients with renal dysfunction.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study was the assessment of estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) by the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease 4 (MDRD4) method in patients with HBV chronic hepatitis, HCV chronic hepatitis, and cirrhosis (CH) caused by these viruses to detect any differences in renal function among these diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a cross-sectional analysis of all consecutive patients with HBV chronic hepatitis, HCV chronic hepatitis, and cirrhosis caused by these viruses hospitalized during a 4 year period in the Gastroenterology and Hepatology department of the Emergency County Hospital Timisoara, Romania. The eGFR was assessed by the MDRD4 method. Statistical analysis (unpaired t-test, ANOVA, Chi Square test) was performed using OpenEpi 2.3.1.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HBV chronic hepatitis, HCV chronic hepatitis, and cirrhosis secondary to these viruses were associated with a reduction of the GFR. The eGFR was higher in patients with HBV chronic hepatitis than in patients with HCV chronic hepatitis (P &lt; 0.001). Patients with cirrhosis secondary to HBV infection had a higher eGFR than patients with cirrhosis secondary to HCV (P = 0.01). The eGFR of patients with HCV chronic hepatitis was higher than the eGFR of patients with cirrhosis due to this virus (P &lt; 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Functional renal impairment in diseases caused by HCV was more important than in diseases caused by HBV. The eGFR was statistically lower in cirrhosis secondary to HCV than in HCV chronic hepatitis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy (V. Babes), Timisoara, Romania.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gluhovschi
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Velciov
authors.forename: Roxana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Buzas
authors.forename: Ligia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Petrica
authors.forename: Gheorghe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bozdog
authors.forename: Florica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gadalean
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gluhovschi
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Balgradean
authors.forename: Corina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vernic
authors.forename: Ioan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sporea
keywords: Glomerular Filtration Rate; Hepatitis B Virus; Hepatitis C; Liver Cirrhosis